The house has heavy brick and plaster walls, almost 2 feet thick, and the direct sun never enters the walled garden. All day and all night, the temperature indoors is 63 degrees. Back home I would have a problem with that. Here? It’s perfectly fine by me. It’s a nice temperature for sleeping, and we wear jackets indoors during the day. Want to warm up? Go sit on the roof, or go out for a walk.
Our host says the temperature in summer is a consistent 72 degrees F, even when it’s in the high 80s outdoors. No furnace, and no air conditioner. You just don’t need those expenses.
Now it’s time to step outside into the streets, and see what the day holds for us.
Here in downtown Queretaro most of the buildings originated in the 1600s and 1700s. The architecture is endlessly fascinating; our housemate, who has lived in Spain, says that it is very similar to Seville and other cities back in Spain. We took a walk through the Autonomous University of Queretaro (UAQ), at their satellite site for Philosophy. It makes a nice sheltered shortcut from our house to the mercado.
entrance to the university UAQUAQ, founded by the Jesuits
I thought of the Jesuit priests at my alma mater, Marquette University. Settlers, conquerors, educators; it’s complicated.
Inside UAQ
You see a lot of corrosion or spalling on the walls around here. It’s no big thing, just a part of the natural way with these old walls, inside and outside of buildings. (The rampant graffiti is another matter. I wish it would go away.)
Across the street from our house a renovation is in full swing, and has been for 2 years now. This gent has spent the entire week removing a ledge on the wall, laboriously chipping it off with a chisel and hammer, down to the bricks, and plastering over it. Why? Since his labor costs about $1 per hour, apparently the owner thought, why not?
Renovations on Rio de la Loza; removing a ledge for no apparent reason
On thing Deb wants us to do in a daily basis is to up our excersize habits. We need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day as part of our plan. After salsa dancing lessons and a quick dinner, we headed home. I already had my goal met, so when we got back to the room, we checked out pedometers.
Both read the same: 15,461 steps. What are the chances of doing this again?
Situated in an ancient home that has been renovated into a museum, this is partly an archaeology site, partly a garden oasis cafe, and partly a history of calendars, art, and printing.
MUCAL, rooftop oasis with view of neighboring buildingsMUCAL El Calendario: 3 major classifications
MUCAL is a surprising site and well worth a visit. The relatively small topic of “Calendars” becomes a 2 to 3 hour tour, with a sufficient number of “wows” thrown in. It starts with the history of calendar concepts.
Aztec Calendar, wood, modern reproductionEgyptian calendar system, a history
It then continues on with a focus on the Mexican calendar company Landin, which has supplied the calendars of Mexico for about a hundred years. They are the patrons of the museum.
Calendars from the 1920s and 30sStrong, and beautiful: a themeTraditional dress of Oaxaca
Most of the artwork is reproductions of the originals. Certain rooms focus on particular artists, including Jesus de la Helguera. Helguera is credited as the best of the calendar artists of Mexico. He preserved legends of Mexico and presented them in ways that shared them for generations to discuss. His principal models were his wife, and his nephew, who are seen in many or most of his paintings. The copies and originals in the museum are detailed works of art.
The Legend of the Volcanoes (Helguera)The Legend of the Volcanoes (Helguera)“The Sleeping Woman” mountain“The Sleeping Woman” mountain (La Mujer Dormida) (Helguera)
In subsequent rooms you tour the history of Landin’s calendars from the earliest days to the present. There are creative allegorical tales.
The defeat of Nazi Germany
It’s a delight to mark the milestones of your own life as you travel in time.
Deb was born in this era; this could represent her parents’ lives1973; my how things have changed19781987; photos begin to dominate
Our home host tipped us off to get an annual membership. When you arrive and pay your 25 pesos ($1.30) do fill out one of the half-sheet forms sitting on the entrance desk, and include your “address” (email address.) The staff will enter your information into the computer, and you are now free to attend anytime during the year. The outdoor cafe with free wifi is a beautiful place to hang out, read, and enjoy the birds that come to the bird bath. (The oranges that have fallen off the trees are not edible, according to the staff, they are “grey” oranges.)
